Safety ladder attachment



(N0 Mdelv.)

A. KfBERKlVIAN. SAFETY LADDER ATTACHMENT.

Winesses;

UNITED STATES PATENT iricn.

ALEXANDER K. BERKMAN, OF KANSAS CITY, KANSAS.

SAFETY LADDER ATTACHMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 535,346, dated March12, 1 895.

Application led November 5,1894. Serial No. 527,924. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER K. BERK- MAN, of Kansas City, Wyandottecounty, Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inLadder Attachments, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, forming apart hereof.`

My invention relates to attachmentsfor ladders, and the object of thesame is to produce an attachment of this character which may be easilyand quicklygadjusted to accommodate the ladder tothe irregularities orunevenness in the surface of the ground or other base upon which itis4to `be erected; furthermore, to provide an attachment of this characterwhich is simple,strong, durable, and inexpensive of construction.

With these objects in View, the invention consists in certain novel andpeculiar features of construction and combinations of parts, as Will behereinafter described and claimed.

In order that the invention may be fully understood, l will proceed todescribe it with reference to the accompanying drawings, in Which Figurel. represents a perspective viewof a ladder of ordinary construction,provided with adjustable attachments embodying my invention. Fig. 2.represents a perspective View of an ordinary two by four ladder,provided at one side with one `of lmy adjustable attachments. Fig. 3.represents aperspective View of a step-ladder, which is also provided atone side With attachments embodying my invention. Fig. A. is aperspective View enlarged of a device for securing said attachment atany desired point in its adjustment. Fig. 5. is a perspective View ofone form of clip carried by my adjustable attachment. Fig. 6. is aperspective View of a dilerent form of clip.

Similar numerals refer to corresponding parts in all the figures, inWhich- 1 designates a bar, Which is reinforced at the margins of oneside with the Wear-plates or strips 2, 2, and is provided in the sameside with a longitudinal series of recesses or holes 3. A guide clip orsemi-sleeve 4, approxiside of each bar l, occupied by the reinforceistrip 2. The body-portion 5 extends transversely of the bar 1 and thecorresponding side of the ladder, and the opposite end 6 embraces theinner side of the said side-bar of the ladder. 'lo cause this clip 4 toengage or release the ladder, it is operated upon its pivot. preferred,be provided with asecond guide clip or sleeve, which is formedpreferably of a cylindrical rod and is bent to approximately rectangularshape, so as to comprise a bodyportion which is rotatably or pivotallymounted in the bearing 7 carried by the bar 1 at the side provided withthe reinforce-strips hereinbefore described, the parallel arms 8projecting from the oppoiste ends of said body-portion, and the inwardlyprojecting flanges 9.

gaged with the side-bars ofatwo by four ladder, because the stepsfar'enailed or other-V Wise secured to one edgefof each'side-bar, as shown inFig. 2, or with a step-ladder where the side-margins of the steps areflush or approximately flush with the edges of the sidebars, as shown inFig. 3. To overcome this difficulty l provide the attachments destined Yi j for use particularly with two by four ladders and step ladders withclips 4e, similar to those in Fig. l, which are pivoted at one end tothe upper ends of said attachments. In this case, however, the clip mustbe sufficiently large to permit of the required amount of pivotedmovement to disengage the inwardly projecting Iiange 6 from the side-barof the ladder,- or in other words the edge of the portion 5 of The saidbar also may, or may not, as"" the clip must not come in contact withthe ladder until the portion 6 has ceased to overlap the same at itsinner side, so that a bar, 1, may be placed side by side with one of thesidebars of the ladder and the clip 4 caused to embrace one edge and theinner side of said side-bar, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3, so as tohold the bar 1 firmly against the side of the ladder.

With the construction first described, it is necessary to cause therectangular guide sleeve or clip to be secured in position by firstfitting the same upon the lower end of the ladder and then sliding theattachment up to the required position. The reason for the diderence ofconstruction of the clips or sleeves carried by the attachments fordifferent ladders will now be apparent, because a clip or sleeve of therectangular construction employed in Fig. 1, could not be slipped uptothe required position on the ladders shown in Figs. 2 and 3, because thesteps thereof would interfere.

Referring now to the fastening device ernployed in connection with allof the attachments, 10 and 12 designate the end-portions of arectangular frame, and 1l the side-bars thereof, which connect saidend-portions l0 and 12. The end-portion 10 carries rotatably thereon thesegmental head 14 of an arm 15, and said arm is provided at its oppositeend with the oppositely projecting pin 16 and handle 17. To secure theattachment firmly after once being placed in position as shown in thefigures of the drawings, the rectangular frame comprising the portions10, 11 and 12 is slipped over the lower end of the attachment (whichwill be about four feet long) and over the lower end of the side-bar ofthe ladder, and with the arm 15 projecting upwardly. Immediately thisposition is attained andthe ladder raised to the position required, andthe sustaining power removed the weight of the same causes a slightdownward movement, as indicated by the arrows in the drawings, and thisdownward movement being, of course, resisted by the bar 1, which restsat its lower end upon a stationary base or support, causes acorresponding upward movement or the equivalent thereof of the bar uponthe ladder, and these opposite movements cause the frame to assume anoblique position, so as to bear frictionally against the inner side ofthe ladder and the reinforce-strips at the outer side of the bar 1. Thisoperation, due to the friction of the segmental head 14: upon the outeror perforated side of said bar, causes the arm l5 to swing downward tothe posi` tion shown in the drawings, when the pin 16 will automaticallyengage the first opening with which it registers as the sliding movementof the said bar and ladder continues, or the pin may be forced in thehole securely by the hand. It will now be seen that the weight of theladder holds said pin securely within the opening. When it is desired todisengage this fastener from the recess or hole engaged by the pin 16,it may be grasped by the handle 17 and pulled outward. In connectionwith the fire-ladder I employ two such attachments, so that in case ofirregularity of the ground or base upon which the ladder is to besupported, it will only be necessary to adj ust longitudinally one orthe other of said attachments, so as to obtain a square and firm supportfor the ladder. In connection with ladders vfor ordinary use, where timeis not such an object, only one of the attachments need be employed,because in case the base or support for the ladder is irregular at oneside or the other the ladder may be either turned around, or theattachment transferred from one side-bar to the other. With stepladdersattachments must beemployed upon one side-bar and the correspondingbrace-bar of the ladder, as shown in Fig. 3, so that in case work is tobe done adjacent toa platform or step, the side-bar and brace-bar at one-side of the ladder may rest upon said platform orstep, and theattachments `at the opposite side adj usted the proper distance to restsquarely upon the ground or door, and thus afford a safe and substantialsupport for the ladder.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that I have produced anadjustable attachment for ladders which may be easilyand expeditiouslysecured in position or transferred from one side of the ladder to theother, and which is simple, strong, durable, and inexpensive ofconstruction.

I-laving thus described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination with a ladder, of a bar fitting against the side ofthe same, a guide sleeve or clip carried by the side-bar and embracingthe side of the ladder, a rectangular frame embracing .the side of theladder at its lower end and the said bar, and an arm carried bysaidframe provided with a pin engaging a hole or recess in the side of saidbar, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with a ladder, a bar provided with a longitudinalseries of recesses or holes, and a guide sleeve or clip carried by saidbar and embracing theside-bar of the ladder, of a rectangular frameembracing the side-bar of the ladder and the said bar, an arm rotatablymounted upon -said rectangu- IOO IIO

lar frame and provided at said engaging end der, of a rectangular frameembracing the side-bar of the ladder and the said bar, an arm rotatablymounted upon said rectangular frame and provided at said engaging endwith a segmental head which frietionally engages the side of said bar,and provided at its opposite end with a pin engaging one of theapertures of said bar, and having a handle projecting outwardly fromsaid arm, substantially as set forth. 1o

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

ALEXANDER K. BERKMAN. Witnesses:

M. R. REMLEY, G. Y. THORPE.

